Serial
killers tend to be white, heterosexual, males in their
twenties and thirties who are loners with low self-esteem.
Their methodical rampages are almost always sexually
motivated. Their killings are usually part of an elaborate
sexual fantasy that builds to a climax at the moment of
their murderous outburst. Serial killers generally murder
strangers with cooling off periods between each crime. Many
enjoy cannibalism, necrophilia and keep trophy-like body
parts as mementos of their work. Serial killers are sadistic
in nature. Sometimes they like to return to grave sites and
crime scenes to fantasize about previous kills. Many killers
like to insert themselves in the investigations of their
crimes and some like to taunt the police with letters or
carefully placed pieces of evidence at the crime scene.